Taking the Plunge
by Challenger Deep
Summary: When a young manticore is rescued from a lifetime of abuse, can Daniel save her life and help her to heal?
1. The First Day: Life Changes, part 1

**Author's notes: Greetings to you all. If a disclaimer is needed, this is a story derived from Okayado's** **Monster Musume** **setting and Kenkou Cross's** **Monster Girl Encyclopedia** **. I own only the rights to my original characters.**

 **As my first attempt at fiction of any kind, I've been a bit nervous about posting this. It is, to some degree, a self-insert; while there are many details that are changed for the sake of the story, some remain true and real. And while I intend to explore mature themes, outright lemons are really not my style, just to let you all know in advance.**

 **My original writing was not episodic, so I'll be dividing what I have so far into sections / chapters that hopefully are sensible. We'll see how it goes. I've also been more concerned with writing what's on my heart at the time rather than issues of pacing and such, though I do try to maintain a balance. We'll see how that goes, too.**

 **The First Day: Life Changes, part 1**

The beginning of our story finds Agent Abigail Jones seated at the kitchen table of one Daniel Carson on a sunny August Saturday morning in his simple two-story townhouse in Medford, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. Agent Jones is a tall, slender, attractive woman in her early thirties wearing her agency's trademark black suit and slacks, though she's removed her dark sunglasses so that the two might speak eye-to-eye. Her long deep-auburn hair is worn in a ponytail, and her green eyes convey interest, curiosity, and a touch of concern, which she is trying her best to keep concealed.

"So tell me, Mr. Carson, why did you apply to become a host with the Interspecies Cultural Exchange program?" she asked as she looked about the room, noting that it was sparsely, though not spartanly, furnished. It was clean and functional, but it clearly had not known a woman's touch. And while there were pictures hung tastefully about the room, there were no family photos to be seen, and the refrigerator door was entirely bare.

"Please, call me Daniel."

"Alright, Daniel. I'll be frank – you're somewhat older than the applicants we normally consider. However, you do have some unique qualifications that may make you the ideal candidate for a particularly difficult case we have right now," the concern in her eyes becoming more pronounced as she said this.

"Yes? Well, to answer your question, as I'm sure you know, I lost my family in an accident a few years ago."

Agent Jones looked intently at the man opposite the table from her, gauging his emotional state as he sighed deeply at the memory. Daniel Carson was not a particularly handsome man, being in his early forties, of average height and slightly stocky build, clean-shaven, his short light-brown hair beginning to thin at the top. He was dressed simply in a nondescript green t-shirt, blue jeans – not the kind with the pre-made holes in them – white socks, and black sneakers; clearly fashion sense was not a priority for him. But there was something indefinable about him that inspired trust. Perhaps it was his turquoise-blue eyes, which were kind, compassionate, and discerning. Or it may have been the sense of deep inner peace he radiated, even as he was momentarily reliving what must have been the greatest tragedy of his life.

"We do have that on record, yes. Your wife and son, ten years ago. How have you been managing since then?" she asked, the compassion in her voice genuine.

"I feel I've come to terms with it as best I can. You know, people say life goes on and that time heals all wounds, but it really doesn't. I won't lie – I did a lot of soul-searching for a while, and it took me to some dark places internally. But I've never been one to drink or do drugs or anything like that. Only effective way I've found to deal with pain is head-on. Anyway, I found the light at the end of the tunnel after a few months, and that was what I needed to keep me going. That was a long time ago, now. I feel I still have a lot to give, and I know what it is to be a stranger in a strange land, so to speak. If I can make getting to know our culture just a little easier for even one of the students in your program, that's good enough for me," he said, smiling good-naturedly.

Agent Jones smiled back and nodded, considering, then she reached for the cup of tea he'd given her to take a long sip before continuing on to a new topic.

"And you've attained the rank of hachidan in aikido. That's eighth-degree black belt, yes?"

"That's right, and I salute your knowledge. Not many people outside the art know the ranks. My parents, God rest their souls, started me out when I was four. They liked it because it was non-violent. I took to it like a duck to water. It was the center of my life right up until I met my wife. I still do the exercises to stay in shape, though I haven't been active in the circuit for a long time now. There have been other martial arts as well, though I've always considered aikido to be 'home'."

"I see. That's pretty impressive. And you speak Spanish?" she asked.

"Not like a native, but pretty well. I spent some time in South America after the accident."

Agent Jones nodded again. Now for the big one. "And tell me, how exactly does this 'empathy' thing of yours work?"

Daniel raised an eyebrow and regarded her, clearly not expecting the question. "Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you know about that. It's not exactly something I go spreading around. How did you find out about it, if you don't mind my asking?"

"We like to do our homework. It's important that we be as sure as we can that our hosts and their charges are compatible, wouldn't you agree?" she asked, seeing him nod in response. "And in your case, we talked to some of the people you've helped over the years. One thing each and every one of them remarked on was how you seemed to know exactly what they were feeling. They said that they could see it in your eyes and that you always knew exactly what to say and do. It seems like you've already made a big difference in many people's lives."

"I'm always thankful when I can help someone. But yeah, when I'm around someone who's feeling something strongly, I do feel what they're feeling. Not sure I can explain exactly how it works. And I can't tell you how confusing it was when I was a kid. I'd be feeling things from everyone around me and thinking all the feelings were mine. It didn't help being a sensitive intellectual in a rough-and-tumble farming community. I got picked on rather a lot, as you might imagine. It's a double whammy when someone's trying to beat up on you and you feel their unreasoning hatred toward you and think it's your own. The aikido kept me physically safe, but the emotions still made an impact. Wasn't until I was much older that I finally realized what was happening and was able to put it into some kind of perspective. Since then, I've found it really useful for helping others, among other things."

"What kinds of other things, if I may ask?"

"Well, lots of things in everyday life. You know how people often seem to do inexplicable things for no discernable reason? Meaning no offense, but men often have that complaint about women, for example. But if you can feel what they're feeling, you can begin to understand why – to hear what they're _not_ saying. There are lots of ways to use that information to help out, but you can only do that if you care.

"Or you know how some people just get a certain sense about someone they see or have just met? It's like that on steroids. For example, you may not know if someone is lying to you on a specific occasion, though that often happens, too. But you can almost always tell whether or not a person is trustworthy or is speaking from ulterior motives or manipulation. You can hear it in their heart and voice, in the way they express their words, and from their body language – especially the eyes. It's not 100% accurate – I mean, I'm still a fallible human, after all – but in my experience, it's much higher than 99%.

"It's also the reason I've been alone all these years, to be completely honest. It's very hard to find someone who can handle that level of intimacy. After a few bad experiences over the years with 'getting back into the game', I took myself out of the game completely a while ago and have never looked back. It's just better to be alone than to be with the wrong person.

"So, I figured that since my chances of finding another miracle love were slim-to-none, I'd put myself out there as a host. Whatever girl – and I figured it would be a girl – you'd assign to me would almost certainly be way too young for me, but I could still care for her and take care of her as perhaps a host-father. That would actually bring a lot of joy into my life, and most, if not all, of that joy would come from working to make her happy and help her become a part of our society."

As Agent Jones digested this for a moment, looking at him, wondering idly what he saw in her eyes, she realized that she found his easy manner and openness disarming. She also found her concern easing in his presence, which surprised her a bit. Not only was he inspiring trust, he was inspiring confidence as well. Coming to a decision, she straightened in her chair and placed her hands before her on the table.

"Alright, Mr. Carson – er, Daniel, sorry. I appreciate your candor. And I think you may be able to help us. First, let me tell you what we can offer you. Do I understand correctly that you've been looking to change your line of work?"

Daniel again raised an eyebrow. "You really have done your homework. That's another thing I don't go spreading around. But yes, for some time now, I've wanted to work in an area where I could help people instead of sitting at a computer all day fixing bugs in other people's code," he chuckled. "Not that my own code is always bug-free, mind you, but I try."

"You've been a software engineer for what, twenty years now?"

"Yes, that's right. Since right out of college, and even when I was in South America."

"And you've been helping people in your own way for the last ten years?"

"That's about right, too. People mysteriously started coming to me with their problems right after I got things figured out; no idea why. But that's when I discovered I could actually help them."

Jones reached into the left inner pocket of her suit coat and pulled out an envelope, pushing it across the table to Daniel, who opened it while she continued. "This is what we're prepared to offer. In addition to being a host, you would be joining us as Special Consultant. We'd need you to move to our facility in New Hampshire. All of your moving and living expenses will be paid, and you will receive a company car in addition to the salary you see there, along with the usual benefits. Your responsibilities will be, first and foremost, to assist us with this case I mentioned. This will probably take considerable time and energy on your part, and I'll go into the details on that in just a minute. If you are successful, this case will become your homestay. Regardless of your success, you will then be called upon to help with other special cases as they arise. And they do arise – quite frequently, in fact. This might involve some travel around the country, and possibly even internationally."

"That does seem very interesting, and it's much more than I was expecting," Daniel said with some surprise. "But wouldn't the need to travel be at odds with my responsibilities as a host?"

"We'll make sure there's no conflict, one way or another, even if it means sending your homestay along with you."

"Can't argue with that. Honestly, I'm impressed, and your offer is more than generous," he added, putting the paper back into the envelope. "Is there a catch to this that I'm missing?"

Jones chuckled and took another long sip of her tea. "Not really. Since the program began in the US last year, things have been proceeding reasonably well. However, as you are aware if you've read the rules for being a host, any violation of the ICE laws could potentially be very serious, possibly even escalating to an international – and interspecies – incident, not to mention the termination of the program. This is something we want to avoid at all costs, which means we're willing to pay to make sure that doesn't happen. If you agree to our terms, your services will be a part of that insurance."

"You must be well-funded," he remarked.

"You have no idea. I only wish they'd throw a little more of it my way… But I can't complain. Too much," she smiled wryly. "In any case, in the interest of full disclosure, I should also tell you that a significant proportion of the homestays are, shall we say, physically dangerous in some way. Most are far stronger than we humans. Some are poisonous. Some have formidable natural weaponry. These risks are factored into the salary we're offering.

"Before you make a decision, though, I need to tell you what your first and most important assignment will be." Concern lined the agent's face, this time impossible to conceal. "Do you know anything about manticores?"

"Assuming you mean the liminal species and not the legendary creature, only what I've read on the ICEP web site. Feline, female-only, aggressive, wings, a rather unique tail… I read about all the possible home-stay species when I applied – I wanted to be as prepared as I could be for whatever might be needed."

"That's a good start." Agent Jones closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It wasn't often that cases got to her, but this one… She let her breath out slowly, and when she re-opened her eyes, she was unable to hold back her tears, try as she might. As she connected with Daniel's eyes, she could see that he was feeling her pain as well but was at peace, waiting patiently for her to begin in her own time.

Marshaling her inner strength, she pressed on. "This particular manticore didn't formally apply to the exchange program. She was rescued from a group of very well-armed men who had captured her and were abusing her in some of the most sadistic ways I've ever heard of. We don't know how long this had been going on, but the team who rescued her reported that it had very clearly been a long, long time. We think those men had killed her family as well, as there was an unmarked mass grave on the premises containing the bodies of other manticores. One of them was just a ch-child," she said, her voice faltering.

Daniel quickly reached over and placed his hand on hers, tears streaming down his own face, though his eyes remained steady. Grateful for the contact, and feeling renewed from his peace and compassion, she went on. "Of course, we arrested the men – those who survived the shoot-out – and we brought her back to our NH facility. She's been there for five days now. She won't talk, and she's not eating. She's been nonresponsive to all therapy. There's no place we can send her for help – she has no family we know of, no home to go back to. You are our last hope. You are _her_ last hope. Will you help her?" Jones's eyes were pleading, and she looked to be on the verge of breaking down.

His hand still on hers, his eyes still steady, Daniel said without hesitation, his voice full of conviction, "I have to try. I accept your offer."

Placing her other hand on top of his, she looked at him through her tears and said, "Thank you. _Thank you._ " Taking another deep breath, she withdrew her hands and wiped at her eyes, her face a bit flushed from embarrassment as well as the tears. "Sorry," she said, "I'm not usually so unprofessional."

Handing her a handkerchief, which she accepted gratefully, he said, "If you could say all that without tears… Well, there's just no way you could. You have a beautiful heart," he smiled, wiping at his own tears. "So, where do we go from here? What's the plan?"

Her face a bit more flushed from the unexpected compliment, she pulled herself together. "Right. What we need to do is send you to the facility right away. She needs you _now_. I only hope she will let you help her." _And that she won't lash out and hurt you in the process_ , she thought to herself. "I'm going to call right now for a helicopter to pick you up. If you can get to this address…" she pulled out a pen and a business card, scribbled on the back of the card, and handed it to him, "It should be waiting for you by the time you get there. I'll stay behind and take care of all of the other arrangements. Your things will be arriving tonight, so you won't even need an overnight bag."

"Wow, that's efficient. You must have known I would accept. Is there anything I should take with me now?"

"I hoped you would. And no, nothing that you don't normally already carry with you. Let me call a taxi for you, too."

While Agent Jones made her calls, Daniel got up and made a quick bathroom stop and washed his face, all the while doing a quick mental check to see if there was anything he might need to take with him. He couldn't think of anything out of the ordinary, so he grabbed the backpack he always took with him to work and returned to Jones, saying, "I just want to thank you, Agent Jones, for everything."

"It's Abigail. And thank _you_ , Daniel. You just may be saving a life. At the very least, you've given us hope. Your taxi should be…" she paused as they both heard a car horn beeping outside, "…here. Goodbye for now, Daniel. I'll see you soon." She fought the urge to embrace him as he turned to leave. _What are you thinking?_ she chided herself.

"Be seeing you," he waved with a smile. And with that, he was off.


	2. The First Day: Life Changes, part 2

**The First Day: Life Changes, part 2**

The taxi ride to the pick-up point was uneventful, if a little harrowing. Apparently the driver had been told to "step on it," and he did so with obvious glee. Nevertheless, they arrived without incident, and, true to Jones's word, a large black helicopter was waiting when they arrived, rotors spinning. A green insignia was prominently displayed just behind the rear compartment; it was much like that of the United Nations, but the laurel leaves had been replaced by what was clearly a liminal arm and hand descending on the left and a human arm and hand on the right, each reaching down to clasp the other. The letters "DIA", also in green, appeared below the insignia. _So the Department of Interspecies Affairs even has its own helicopters,_ Daniel reflected.

He went to pay the taxi driver, but the driver waved him off, saying it had already been taken care of. He then proceeded to the helicopter; the pilot opened the door for him and told him to buckle up as he climbed inside. He did so, securing his backpack within reach, and they lifted off less than a minute after he had arrived.

It was his first helicopter ride, and while Daniel did appreciate the experience, he was more concerned about the girl he was going to meet.

He pulled his pad computer out of his backpack and asked the pilot's permission to use it. The pilot nodded, so he powered it on, connected to his satellite Wi-Fi service, and went over all of the information he could find on manticores.

There were a number of images but few actual photos. Apparently their size and coloring – and even such physical features as the size of their wings – varied quite a bit. _Hmm. Carnivorous, found in wastelands, volcanic areas, and mountains._ He wondered how and where she had been found and resolved to ask later. _Highly intelligent, but infinitely lustful, even sadistic and cruel. Really? Predatory, but only in a sexual sense. Almost never talk about their feelings._ That last wouldn't be a problem if he could connect with her as he could with most humans. As for the rest, he'd have to see.

But this girl had been traumatized over a long period of time. She was almost certainly suffering from post-traumatic stress, given how Agent Jones had described her behavior. Any human girl would be. But he couldn't really know anything for sure yet. He sighed, realizing that this exercise in speculation wasn't going to be very useful. He needed to see her, to _feel_ her. That was the only way he was going to be able to know and help her. And he wanted to be as objective and unbiased as he could be. She'd need him to hear her, not to have preconceptions and compare her with a limited number of people's impressions of some limited number of her species. _If I can get her to talk to me in the first place…_ , he mused.

One thing he could do, however, was to brainstorm on the various ways he might be able to help her and what she might need most, both in general and from him in particular. He set about doing just that.

It was just before noon when they drew close to what appeared to be their destination: a sprawling complex with a number of buildings, all painted black, some of them as many as ten stories high. Well-funded, indeed. The helicopter set down on a landing pad at the edge of the complex. Thanking the pilot and retrieving his backpack as he disembarked, Daniel spied a figure in a black suit waving him over just off the landing pad. As he approached, he saw a familiar face.

"Agent Jones – Abigail – how did you get here before me?" he asked with a degree of astonishment.

"Oh, I wish we had time for me to play along with that. You look fun to tease. But we really don't. Name's Agent Alexandra Jones. You can call me Alex," she said, reaching out to shake his hand, smiling with a gleam in her green eyes. The smile faded rapidly, though, to be replaced by worry. "I'm glad you got here so fast. Please come with me."

Alex led the way at a brisk pace toward the center of the complex. Daniel reflected as he followed her that at first glance, Alex and her sister seemed as near-identical a pair of twins as he'd ever seen. She even wore her long deep-auburn hair up in a ponytail as well. Apart from the physical, though, they seemed to be worlds apart. Whereas Abigail was precise and measured with her words and feelings – rather like he was himself – Alex seemed to be one to just let it all hang out. _This should be interesting_ , he thought.

The landscaping for the complex was meticulously maintained, with neatly-trimmed grass, fragrant flowers and flowering bushes, and a few full-grown trees interspersed among black metal pathways which meandered to and fro between the buildings. Each path was wide enough to accommodate two people walking abreast. Along the paths were a number of black metal benches large enough for three people, all vacant at present, with tall black posts spaced at regular intervals, perhaps for illumination at night.

"So, you guys really like black…" Daniel observed.

"Adds to the mystique, don't you think?" Alex chuckled.

As they neared the center of the complex, Daniel saw that they were heading toward a large transparent dome covering a man-made depression that descended well over a hundred feet; he counted ten floors visible. The depression was entirely surrounded by what looked to be the same black metal as was used for the paths. The dome itself was easily a hundred feet across and gradually rose to a height of about twenty feet above the path they were on. It allowed sunlight to reach all the way down to the lowest floor he could see.

"You built down, too?" he asked Alex.

"Yeah. The towers are our administration and living quarters. Be happy to give you the tour later. The Crater here is where our labs are located."

"Really? That's what you call it?"

"Well, I wanted to call it the 'Pit of Despair', but they overruled me."

"Loved that movie. How many floors down does it go?"

"I have to get clearance to tell you that. Sorry, Dan. Is it okay if I call you Dan?"

"Sure…," he replied, only slightly begrudgingly, as his mind was suddenly distracted. There was much to absorb about this place, but now was not the time. There was something – someone – far more important, and he needed to focus entirely on her now. "Can you tell me how our girl is? And what's her name?"

"Here we go." Alex stopped abruptly about twenty feet before the dome and pulled out a small key fob. As she pressed the button, a black rectangular structure rose quickly from the ground before them; the side facing them slid open almost noiselessly to reveal an elevator. Alex stepped inside.

Daniel followed her inside, and she pressed the button for the 10th floor. The door slid shut automatically. As the elevator began to descend smoothly to the low hum of electric motors, she replied, "I don't think anyone knows her name. Everyone's just been calling her 'our guest', which is kinda weird now that I think about it. Last I heard, which was just before I came up to get you, they were putting her on life support. She'd collapsed, because she's refused to eat or drink anything since she got here."

"Okay," said Daniel, worried, but having already formulated his plan. "There are a few things I'm going to need done."

At that moment the elevator stopped, and the inner door slid open onto a slightly chilly corridor about fifteen feet across and the same measure high, extending to the right and left. Alex stepped out and headed to the right; Daniel followed close behind. The wall to their left was transparent, allowing sunlight to filter down from the dome above. To their right, the wall was entirely opaque and appeared black, with doors which looked to be heavily reinforced spaced regularly every thirty feet. Softly illuminated light strips tracked along where the ceiling and floor met the walls, four in all. The corridor itself was spotless, almost sterile in both cleanliness and scent; indeed, there was a slight but distinguishable odor of antiseptic in the air. The corridor appeared to circle the entire level around the transparent wall of the Crater.

They were fast approaching the first security door, at which stood two burly guards in helmets and full body armor with automatic weapons. Despite the fact that their helmets were open, their facial features were entirely concealed by internal equipment, with the single exception of their eyes.

The upper part of the security door had a large window, and through it some kind of laboratory could be seen, with tubes running from various machines, rising up to overhead supports before descending again to a body that was lying on what looked like an operating table. The head, which was not clearly visible, was farthest away from the door, and the feet, which were about human-sized but with black sole-pads and four disproportionately large toes, all covered with thick deep-blue fur, were closest to it. No one else appeared to be in the room right then.

At their approach, one of the guards stepped forward to block their way, saying, "That's far enough," while the other held his gun at the ready.

Speaking to the guard, Alex gestured to Daniel and said, "This is the man who was flown in to try to save our guest."

The guard replied, "I'm sorry, but we have our orders. No one but Dr. Reynard is allowed in."

"Dr. Reynard?!" Alex exclaimed, "He just wants to dissect her! You heard what he said about her."

"I'm truly sorry, ma'am, but Director Packard gave the order herself."

"Packard?! That cold-hearted b…" Alex fumed, suddenly – and perhaps fortunately – at a loss for words, so great was her anger.

Daniel unobtrusively peered into the eyes of the guard and saw that he was in fact deeply sorry… and also something else. Just maybe…

"Alex, who is Abigail's boss?" asked Daniel, continuing to watch the guard's eyes.

"Director Montrose," Alex managed, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. "He's mine and probably yours, too."

Daniel noted not only recognition but also respect in the eyes of the guard. Addressing the guard directly, he said, "Is there any way you can contact this Mr. Montrose and straighten this out?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't leave my post."

Wondering why the guards couldn't just call it in on their radios, Daniel decided to let it go for the moment and try a different tack.

"Okay, look," Daniel spoke in a low, non-aggressive tone, hoping that what he'd seen in the guard's eyes was real. Unless he was mistaken, the guard had lost someone recently, maybe a daughter? If he could somehow connect with that pain… "My name is Special Consultant Daniel Carson. I was just flown in urgently by helicopter from Boston by Agent Abigail Jones. This girl," he said, pointing through the door, "is on life support now and can't have much time left. She's been here for five days, and her condition has only gotten worse. I know she's not human, but that's actually an important point. If she dies, it could cause a major diplomatic incident." He took a breath, then continued, with every ounce of sincerity and conviction he could muster, "But even more important than that, she's a girl, and she's dying. They clearly don't care – no one's even with her right now. Won't you _please_ let me try to save her?"

The guards looked at each other, both seeming to be stricken of conscience. The one who hadn't spoken then lowered his gun and nodded to the other, who turned back to Daniel and asked, "Alright, how can we help?" The tears in his eyes were unmistakable.

Letting out a big sigh of relief, Daniel said, " _Thank you_ , gentlemen. First, I need to get in there and see her. Second, someone needs to get in touch with Director Montrose and let him know what's going on. It looks like a turf war has broken out over this girl, and that has got to be stopped. Third, we need a doctor – one we can trust – to monitor her condition. And finally, please consider this girl to be under my personal care from now on. She is to be my homestay if all goes well. I may have some more requests once I've seen her. Oh, and can I ask your names?"

The guard who had spoken answered, "I'm Harrison; this is Adams," gesturing to his partner with his thumb.

Daniel nodded to them and said, "Again, thank you both. Now, I really need to get in there."

While Adams moved to open the door, Alex said, "I'll call Mr. Montrose. Better yet, I'll get him to come down here." She turned to leave, but not before turning her head to look back at Daniel, her expression one of amazement and admiration.

As Daniel stepped past to enter the lab, Harrison asked quietly, "Can you save her?"

Daniel looked him straight in the eye and answered just as quietly, "Lord willing. You've lost someone, haven't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Harrison's eyes went wide. "How did you know?" he asked, his voice hushed.

"It's sort of what I do," Daniel responded, his own voice low and comforting. "I'd be happy to talk about it later if you'd like."

"I just might take you up on that," Harrison said, both appreciation and wonder in his eyes.

Daniel smiled and nodded, placing a hand upon the man's armored shoulder. "It would be my honor." He then stepped through the door but immediately called out, "Guys, why is she shackled to the table?"

Adams replied this time, "Standard procedure for dangerous liminals," his voice carrying more than a hint of apology.

"Can you please release her? I can't do what I need to do if she's tied down like an animal. You can keep the room sealed if you want. I need to trust her with my life. If I'm wrong, and she kills me, well, then I'll have failed, and you'll have learned something important."

"Are you sure about this?" Adams asked.

"Believe it or not, I'm more certain about this than I've ever been about anything in my life."

"Alright, Mr. Carson, since you're taking personal responsibility for her, it's your call." He fished on his chain of electronic key fobs for the one that opened the shackles.

"Thanks once again."

Adams unlocked the restraints on the bed, and the shackles slid into their resting places. He then withdrew, sealing the door behind him.

Daniel turned his attention to the girl on the table. She appeared to be unconscious. Though her body was covered by a sheet, he could tell that her breathing was ragged. He slid the sheet off just enough to determine that she was naked underneath, replacing it immediately with a heavy sigh. "They couldn't even give you just a little bit of dignity," he said quietly, shaking his head sadly as he moved toward her head, avoiding the tubes that were connected to her body. He took off his backpack and set it down next to the table where he was standing, roughly at her right shoulder.

Standing there and looking down at her face for the first time, he felt his heart skip a beat. Her features were surprisingly delicate; in fact, her face was easily the most beautiful he had ever seen, even with her eyes closed. It was framed by lustrous, silky reddish-violet hair that was long enough to disappear beneath the sheet. Her ears were similar to those of a cat but larger and covered with fur of the same deep-blue color as her feet. They were also filled with tufts of downy indigo-colored fur. He could see that she bore a "collar" of the same indigo fur about her neck, disappearing beneath the sheet. Her lightly-bronzed skin was unblemished, thankfully bearing no signs he could see of abuse nor of the hunger and thirst she must have been feeling. Her wings and tail weren't visible from his present vantage point. He couldn't determine her age from her appearance – she might be as old as her late twenties or as young as her late teens. He might be able to tell better once he could look into her eyes.

 _My goodness, you really are a beauty_. _If I were younger…_ , he sighed. _But I'm not, and I can't let myself fall for you – you may be young enough to be my daughter, which is kind of what I was expecting. I hope you'll be happy with me as your host-father, and I hope that maybe you'll let me treat you as the daughter I never had._

With that resolved, he smiled down at her and said in a soft voice, "Hey there, Kitten. I'm Daniel, and I'll be taking care of you from now on, if you'll let me. You're safe now. You don't have to worry about a thing." He reached down and touched her cheek, then he reached up a little higher to rub her ears lightly. Her breathing changed suddenly, and he heard a low rumbling sound that appeared to be coming from her chest. He bent down to listen and noticed that her breathing was now easy and regular. And that rumbling was definitely coming from her upper chest area, right below her fur collar. Could she be…?

"Well I'll be…," he said quietly, smiling. She was purring. He leaned over to kiss her on the forehead before straightening back up. "Sleep well, Kitten," he said softly, his eyes tearing up from a sudden surge of emotion. "I'm not going anywhere."


	3. The First Day: Life Changes, part 3

**Author's notes: Greetings once again. I recently received a PM asking if I was still working on this story. In fact, I do have quite a bit written already and have plans for a middle and end to this story arc at least. The possibilities for it and future story arcs are endless. It is a bit slow-going, as writing is not my primary hobby, but the story is never far from my heart.**

 **There may be some objections to how things develop in these parts I'm publishing today. In truth, I am writing this primarily for myself and so am primarily concerned with where inspiration leads me, as the story is practically writing itself. If I were writing it primarily for a larger audience, there are things I would change. However, in considering making these changes before posting these parts, it felt wrong to violate the original inspiration, so I've decided to leave it intact.**

 **It is my hope that some will be able to enjoy the story as-is for what it is – a tribute to those who still believe in love at first sight and that love can conquer all, even in today's increasingly cynical world.**

* * *

 **The First Day: Life Changes, part 3**

Alexandra Jones was making her way up to the tenth and uppermost floor of the administrative building. Her own office was on the ninth floor, as was Abigail's, but right now she needed to see their boss, Director James Montrose, who, as Director of Operations, had one of the corner offices of the tenth floor. The other three corner offices were occupied by Susan Packard, Director of Research, Gerald Oswald, Director of Security, and Peter Brent, Overseer of the entire northeast region, and to whom the directors reported.

Alex had just managed to calm her rage to a high simmer, and she hoped she wouldn't end up shouting at Mr. Montrose. Not that she had to worry if she did, as her boss was a particularly even-tempered sort and knew full well that she in turn was a particularly fiery sort. But this wasn't the first time this kind of thing had happened with Reynard – or with Packard – and she wasn't sure she could maintain control.

Stepping out of the elevator and passing through the security checkpoint, which involved both a palm and a retina scan, Alex was once again amazed at how much quieter this floor was than the others in the building. Apart from the directors and the overseer, the only people normally here were their personal assistants, a security detail, and the occasional visiting government or liminal dignitary, or perhaps a bigwig from another of the facilities strategically located around the country. A small number of window offices and conference rooms were held in reserve for their use, though Alex didn't think any were occupied at the moment.

A large atrium with full-grown trees, myriad smaller plants, and even a small stream occupied the central area of the floor, its bulletproof glass ceiling, walls, and doors providing daytime illumination to the majority of the areas on the floor. Thick deep-green carpeting muffled Alex's footsteps as she navigated the spacious hallways, the walls of which were also of bulletproof glass. She knew that on command, any or all of the transparent walls could be rendered opaque, whether for privacy or perhaps to aid in the event of a security breach.

The assistants' desks and work areas were located directly outside their respective bosses' offices, meaning that there was no seeing a director or the overseer without going through the assistant first. Alex knew everyone on the floor and considered all of the assistants her personal friends, but none more so than Mr. Montrose's assistant, Teresa Molina. Originally from Puerto Rico, she, Alex, and Abigail had started with the agency at the same time a year ago, and they often did activities together on weekends – that is, when Alex managed to persuade Abigail to go out, which wasn't as often as Alex would have liked. _Ah, the glamorous life of a single agent…_ , she thought, only half-sarcastically. It had its moments, though she had to admit there were times she'd like to settle down. After all, none of them was getting any younger. Biological clocks, and all that. _Hey, maybe we could all drag Daniel out sometime? Though we'd probably just end up fighting over him_ , Alex sighed. Then she remembered why she was there, and her mood darkened once again.

The glass door at the end of the hallway ahead of Alex was emblazoned with the DIA insignia, below which were the words "James Montrose, Director of Operations" in bold black letters. "Teresa Molina, Assistant" appeared just below in slightly smaller letters. Teresa herself was in her early 30s and extremely attractive, with long black hair, almond-shaped eyes, a classic oval face, an olive complexion, and generous curves. She barely needed any makeup at all to be gorgeous even in her agency outfit, and Alex had always been just a teensy bit jealous. Just now, she was visible through the transparent wall, eyes closed, sitting back and sipping a steaming cup of coffee with a look of supreme satisfaction as Alex approached and knocked on the door.

Getting up to open the door, she flashed Alex a radiant smile and asked, "Hey, Sis, you want some of this reaaaally good coffee I just made?" She'd joked around one time at a party and called the twins her adopted sisters, and it had quickly caught on among them. "We doing anything special tonight? Uh-oh, you're upset, aren't you," she asked, finally noticing her friend's glum expression.

Alex simply nodded. "Is he in?" she asked, gesturing with her thumb at the opaque wall of the director's office.

"He is," Teresa nodded. "Let me see if he's busy." Pressing the intercom button, she announced, "Director, Alex is here to see you."

"Send'er right on in," came the cheerful reply.

"He's all yours," Teresa said, smiling and opening the office door for her.

"Thanks, Sis. We'll talk later, ok?" Alex said, managing a wan smile as she entered the office.

"Text me," Teresa whispered loudly, closing the door behind Alex.

The director's office was suitably enormous, with a particularly nice view of the facility's pond, which was in reality more of a lake in size, and which was home to a number of species of aquatic fowl and fishes as well. The jogging path that circled the pond was well known to Alex, who made a habit of running it each and every morning, rain or shine. The only days she'd ever missed were during the previous winter, when an extreme blizzard had buried parts of the path in snow drifts taller than she was.

The office interior was furnished throughout with mahogany furniture inlaid with gold; this included the director's spacious desk, the meeting table and chairs, the sofas, and even the rather ornate-looking filing cabinets. Even the desk lamps and drawer knobs were adorned with gold filigree. Alex had heard that Montrose had complained loudly at the needless opulence when he'd seen it for the first time but was reportedly told it couldn't be sent back, so he'd grudgingly relented. He'd compromised by bringing in some of his own furnishings – a number of paintings depicting various sea-going vessels, a large frigate-in-a-bottle, and even a well-polished boat's wheel from some famous ship or other – she never could remember which one.

Montrose himself was an immense bear of a man in his late fifties, immaculately-dressed and clean-shaven, with a full head of combed-back white hair, a ruddy complexion, bushy eyebrows, and honest steel-blue eyes. Even seated there as he was in his chair, his broad grin helped to defuse Alex's anger a bit. "Well, hello there!" he said in his deep, booming voice. "I was just about to call ya, and here ya are!" gesturing widely with his arms. "But yer looking sadder than my daughter did the first time she bit down on a Warhead. Why dontcha tell me what's happened," he said, folding his hands on the desk in front of him.

"It's Reynard and Packard again!" Alex began, taking the opportunity to vent her frustration. "You remember what happened last month with the harpy? Well, this time they locked us out of the lab completely – they even posted armed guards and gave orders not to let us in! And our poor guest is on life support. She may not even make it through the day! If it weren't for Daniel, we'd probably still be locked out!"

"Wait, yer saying Daniel got in? How in tarnation did he do that?" the director asked, intrigued.

"That was the amazing part," Alex said, her mood brightening considerably. "He just talked to the guards, and they let him in. He seemed to know just what to say, just like we were hoping he would. I think he's the real deal."

"Well that, my dear, is exactly what I was going to call ya to find out. I'll take care of Packard. She's overstepped her bounds on this one. I don't care how much of a genius she's supposed to be. If she's pulled something like this, I tell ya, her days are numbered."

"I was really hoping you'd say that. I hate hating people, but that woman…" Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Anyway, would you mind coming down to meet Daniel? I sort of told him I'd get you to do that. And you can see him for yourself and form your own opinion. Would you?"

"Say no more!" Montrose said, slapping the desk and rising from his chair. "Let's go right now."

As they were leaving the office, Montrose turned to Teresa and said, "Oh, Terry, be a dear and see if ya can get me in to see Gerry and Mr. Brent, would ya? I got some politicking to do when I get back."

"Yes sir!" Teresa said, flashing another smile.

* * *

Meanwhile, the next twenty minutes saw Daniel continuing to rub the girl's ears gently, sometimes reaching down to stroke her cheek or hair. He'd started humming ballads to her at some point, just enjoying being there with her, marveling at the hand that had made such an amazing creature. Her purring never ceased.

A voice over an intercom interrupted his reverie. "Hey Dan, you okay in there?" It was Alex.

"Never better," he responded reflexively before realizing with a bit of a start just how true that was. This triggered a jumble of emotions. His wife, Sara, and their son, Steven, how would they feel about this? But they were gone… and she was just a young girl… Through all this, though, he continued rubbing her ears.

"There are a couple of people here who want to meet you."

He'd have to deal with his feelings later. "I can't leave her," he said, feeling the truth of that as well. He'd created an atmosphere of peace and safety for her, and he _knew_ that it was crucial for her that it not be interrupted. She needed to heal. "Any way we can do this remotely?"

"Look over to your right," Alex said.

As he did so, he realized for the first time how big this laboratory was, as dim lights came on in the ceiling some twelve feet above to softly illuminate the full extent of the room. The table and equipment were clustered not far from the center of a room fully fifty by fifty feet square. The rest of room looked to be empty save for the walls, which were almost entirely lined with electronic consoles, displays, and instruments of all kinds, with chairs at each of the stations. There was a single standard door, closed at the moment, opposite the reinforced door through which he'd entered. And to his right, or the girl's left, an especially large display that extended from floor to ceiling on the wall was now active.

Alex was smiling and waving at him. "Daniel Carson, meet Director James Montrose and Dr. Sophia Lochman."

"Pleasure to meet ya, my boy," said Montrose, smiling broadly. "You and I have a lot to talk about, yessiree. But I hear ya, this is a critical time," he continued. "I'll get Alex to set up a private meeting later. Dontcha worry none, ya won't have to leave the lab."

Daniel found himself taking an immediate liking to the man. "Thank you, sir; I appreciate your understanding," he responded. "Can I ask about the turf war we've been seeing?"

"I'll handle that little bit of nastiness," Montrose replied, holding his hands up. "No one's gonna be taking this little girl away from ya."

"Means a lot to me to hear you say that, sir."

"Alrighty then, I'll letcha get back to it. Keep up the good work!" Montrose said cheerfully, then he turned and disappeared from the monitor, and the doctor took center screen.

Dr. Lochman was probably Daniel's age or so, not at all unattractive in a librarian sort of way, with brown horn-rimmed glasses, a fair complexion, and astute brown eyes, her dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, which didn't seem to jibe with her personality at all. _Maybe she has a wild streak,_ Daniel reflected. _Or maybe it's an agency style?_

"Mr. Carson, what did you do to our guest?" the doctor asked, frowning, taking Daniel a bit off-guard.

"Um, well, I've been trying to help her feel safe, even if she is unconscious, if that makes any sense. She seems to be responding very well. Much more so than I was expecting, to be honest." He continued rubbing her ears gently.

"I'll say," the doctor admitted, still looking perplexed. "I've never seen such a quick turnaround in all my years. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it. I'm going to take her off the sedative; she should wake up in ten to twenty minutes. We've got all of this recorded, and I'll be going over it with a fine-tooth comb later, you can rest assured. In the meantime, is there anything else we can help you with?"

 _She was sedated? And we're being recorded? Okay…_ "Now that you mention it, there is. First, how long is she going to be needing all these tubes?"

"If she starts eating and drinking on her own when she wakes up, we can get those right off her."

"Okay, that would be great. Until then, I'm going to grab one of these chairs in here, since we could be here for a while yet. And on that note, can we get some food and drink for her for when she wakes? I have a feeling she's going to be very hungry and thirsty. Something with meat. And maybe a real bed, a sofa, or a futon, or even a big beanbag chair?"

"We sure can," Alex jumped in to answer. "I'll get right on that."

"Great, thanks. And one more thing. This poor girl is naked under this sheet. Could we maybe get her a nightgown or something?

The doctor again, "Well, she can't wear a nightgown until we get those tubes out, but we'll see what we can do. Oh, and one more question for you. Our mics are picking up a rumbling sound coming from her. Are you hearing it?"

"She's purring," he said, smiling down at her as he continued to stroke her ears.

"Oh, really? I didn't know they did that. And while under the sedative, even. You must really have the magic touch. Okay, then, we'll be back soon."

"Thank you, ladies." The monitor then went dark. "Hear that, Kitten? You'll be up and around in no time. Now, I really do need to get a chair. You hold on, okay, Sweetie? I'll be right back."

As he withdrew his hand, the girl made a soft mewling sound and moved her head slightly, seeming to be in distress. Seeing this, Daniel ran to get the chair and ran back. Even in the space of those few seconds, her mewling had grown louder, and tears were beginning to fall from her still-closed eyes.

Now seated where he'd been standing, Daniel quickly raised the chair to its highest position so he could stay above her, then he reached out to hold her head gently and resumed stroking her ears, face, and hair, this time with both hands. "Hey, hey, hey, Kitten, I'm here, I'm here. Don't cry. Shhhhhhhh," he said, kissing her forehead again and gently wiping away her tears.

At his touch, she quieted down right away and even turned her head slightly to nuzzle his hand, purring once again. He looked at her, marveling at her response to him. _How is this possible? I wonder if she'll remember any of this when she wakes up_. Indeed, he realized, that would be the moment of truth.

* * *

About ten minutes later, the back door opened, and a number of men wearing black worker's coveralls hastily entered the room carrying a small number of boxes, bags, and a few pieces of furniture. They deposited their items about the back of the room, then, as quickly as they had entered, they left, closing the door behind them.

Without moving from his position, Daniel squinted in the low illumination, trying to see what they had brought in. He could clearly make out a sofa, a large bed, a table with chairs, a wardrobe of some kind, something that looked like a flat-screen TV or monitor, and even a large beanbag chair, just as he had asked. He couldn't make out any details on the boxes, though an aroma that smelled like steak was wafting from one of the bags nearest him, making his stomach growl. He hadn't had lunch yet.

Just then, the big wall monitor came back on, and he saw Alex and the doctor, along with an extremely thin stern-looking middle-aged woman in a black business suit. The woman's demeanor exuded impatience and presumed authority. Her blonde hair was tied back in an austere bun, and her sharp, hawk-like features showed no compassion for the girl on the table – in fact, they showed little emotion at all.

Alex began, "Dan, this is…," but the blonde woman interrupted, speaking over-loudly, with a vaguely haughty and condescending nasal tone.

"I'm Doctor Susan Packard, Director of Research. I understand you've had some success in getting through to our guest. Good. When she wakes up, you will ask her about the others of her kind and how she came to be where she was found. You will find out what their long-term plans were and impress upon her that she is a guest here and must do as we say. She will submit to tests and experiments. She will...,"

That did it. Daniel was not a man of quick temper, but the very idea of this girl submitting to who knew what kinds of experiments at the behest of this female violated something within him at the deepest level. It triggered a protection instinct so strong that it surprised him. He rose to his feet and cut the woman off with extreme vehemence and passion, pointing his finger directly at her, using it to drive his words home.

" ** _No, she will not._** I couldn't care less who you think you are. You and your attitude nearly killed this girl, and now she's under my care and my protection. You will turn yourself around and go back to wherever it is you came from. If it were up to me, you would be immediately fired for gross negligence and incompetence. I plan to take this up with your boss. Now go, before I also decide to have you arrested for the attempted murder of a liminal! **_GO_** **!** " He wasn't actually shouting, but his tone was so forceful that all three women were taken aback.

Ms. Packard was beside herself, her seething rage quelled by the chilling realization – and fear – that he might actually be in a position to carry out his threats. Giving him an especially venomous look, she spun on her heel and disappeared off the monitor without another word.

Alex and Dr. Lochman exchanged expressions of utter astonishment, then Alex lost it and broke into fits of laughter, hooting, hollering, and guffawing so hard that tears were streaming from her eyes and she actually fell from her chair.

Daniel heard Alex's reaction but didn't see it, because at that moment he noticed the girl on the table looking up at him in wonder with large, almost-luminous violet-on-lavender eyes awash with emotion. His breath completely taken away, he heard her say very softly, "I need you," her eyes now pleading.

The girl's silken voice felt to him like paradise, washing coolly over the burning coals of a pain and loneliness he hadn't even realized were still there. His own emotions were a conflicted jumble, but he could feel that she needed him to respond, so he answered with the deepest truth he knew in that moment. "You've got me. I think I need you, too."

At that, the girl reached up to gently pull his head down to hers, then his lips to hers, giving him a long and tender kiss. Daniel nearly went into sensory overload – the softness and sweetness of her lips and breath, the softness of her hand-pads on his face, and the softness of the skin of her back as his arms automatically went around her and held her to him, feeling her pressed against him. He lost track of time as the kiss went on and on, his mind ironically interjecting the thought, _so much for thinking of her as a daughter._

Eventually, they each pulled back, but only a little. The girl's eyes, which he realized were reminiscent of a cat's though with rounder pupils, violet highlighted with flecks of orange and gold, shone with happiness, which further melted Daniel's heart. He felt like he could stay with her like this forever. His hands slid up a little until they found where her wings met her back. Not leathery at all, unlike the accounts he'd read about, they were actually very much like velvet, and he began rubbing them without thinking, just as he had her ears.

"Mmmmm," the girl purred, resting her head on his shoulder, and they remained like that for a few minutes.

Then Daniel heard her stomach grumble, and he whispered into her ear, "Hungry?"

"Mmm-hmm," she giggled, pulling back to look into his eyes again, the expression on her face the purest form of joy he had ever seen.

It was then that Daniel noticed that the sheet had fallen to the girl's waist. The indigo fur collar around her neck came to a "V" just above her breasts, which were perky and as large as they could possibly be without being over-sized for her slender frame. Trying not to stare, he noted as well that her hands were more like paws, about the same size as his own hands, with black pads and three large fingers and a thumb, all tipped with retractable black claws and covered with soft, deep-blue fur that extended up to the middle of her upper arms, ending in a circle of even longer and softer indigo fur. Her long reddish-violet hair was thick and wavy and cascaded down to the small of her back. Her wings, which were folded behind her, were entirely black and also tipped with black claws; they arced gracefully from a height level with the top of her head down to below her hips on the table. And her tail, which had emerged from just below the small of her back to wrap gently around his lower leg as he quietly drank in her beauty, was segmented, about three inches wide, and some five feet long; it was as black and velvety as her wings. The bulb at the end was about half-again as wide as the segments and twice as long, slightly tapered at the tip. Daniel couldn't see any spines, but the lighting was not the best, nor was he in the best position to do so.

The girl blushed a little under his gaze and smiled demurely as her tail tightened a bit on his leg.

Only a few seconds had passed, but Daniel realized he was staring despite trying not to. He decided to say what was on his heart. "I'm sorry, he said softly, "It's just that I've never seen anyone – or even anything – so beautiful in all my life."

That earned him another kiss, even deeper and longer than the first. At this point, he was absolutely certain that there was no way he was going to be able to avoid falling in love with her. But since he could feel that she wanted it at least as much as he did, he decided to just go with it and concentrate on her needs and happiness and take it moment by moment. And it didn't hurt at all that she was making him just as happy as he seemed to be making her. After having been alone for so long, this felt like a new world to him, an entirely new life.

There was still the legal prohibition against getting too close physically, though, and he resolved to try to head off the inevitable with her as gently as he could, hopefully sooner rather than later. He'd wait for the right moment to present itself; he hoped she would understand and be okay with it, at least for the time being.

As they finally pulled away, he kissed her cute little nose and her forehead. "Now," he said, "before you can eat, we need to get these tubes off you."

She smiled at him and nodded, not moving to cover herself up.

Turning to the monitor, he saw both women still there; the doctor was studying some instrument readouts, and Alex was using her smartphone, still chuckling to herself. "Ladies, sorry about the delay. I got… distracted."

Alex responded first, "No, really? I can't imagine why," she said with a sparkle in her eyes. "Just wanted to let you know we got you everything you asked for – and a few extra things. There's a bathroom through that door in the back, and we put some things in there you'll both need. Oh, and Abigail's really happy to hear about your progress. I think she almost cried."

"Thanks, Alex, I really appreciate it. Dr. Lochman, can we get these tubes off her now? Is this something I can do myself, or does someone need to come in here?"

"You can do it if you're careful. Just wash your hands with the sterilizing soap in a sink in the back room, then come back and put on some sterile gloves from the medical supplies under the table. Take a bit of gauze from the same supplies and hold it over where the needles are inserted as you slide the needle straight out. Don't press down with the gauze until the needle is out, and keep it in place until the bleeding slows, then use one of those small round bandages you'll find with the gauze. I recommend repeating this with a fresh piece of gauze for each of the needles, just to be safe. When you're finished, I'll shut down the machines from here.

"Thank you, doctor." Turning to the girl, he said, "Okay, Kitten, I have to go wash my hands. I'll be back in about a minute. You going to be okay?"

He saw the girl's eyes light up with happiness when he called her 'Kitten', which made him happy as well; he hadn't been sure how she'd react to the name, since this was the first time he'd used it since she'd regained consciousness. However, she was clearly not happy about being separated from him, even for a minute. She now looked down sadly, and her ears drooped as well. He had to do something.

Inspiration struck at that moment. He touched her cheek and asked, "Kitten, do you have a name?"

She nodded and said, "Kitten," smiling up innocently at him, her big eyes shining and her ears perking up.

Daniel laughed softly and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, making her smile even more broadly. "That's my special name for you. I don't want anyone calling you that but me. But did you not have a name before we met?"

She nodded, still smiling. Then her smile faded, and Daniel saw pain in her eyes. She looked down, her ears drooping again and her brow furrowed. "I… don't remember." She looked back up at him, tears in her eyes, and he could feel a flood coming.

Daniel drew her close and held her, and she rested her head on his shoulder, a quiet sob escaping her lips. He kissed her neck through her hair just above her collar and held her tightly as she began to cry in earnest. She clung to him tightly, her chest heaving with sobs, her tail firmly entwined about his leg. He could feel that she was beginning to let flow the ocean of tears she'd had to hold back for so long. This was the beginning of healing for her. He just continued kissing her and holding her, rubbing her back and wings softly, until at length she began to quiet down.

He couldn't even imagine what kind of suffering would make her forget her own name. But he'd come prepared. When he felt that the tears had slowed to a trickle and she was breathing more normally, he kissed her neck once again and whispered into her ear, "I'm going to give you a new name."

Her voice shaky, she whispered into his ear, "Y-yes, please."

He said, very softly, "How do you like the name 'Camila'? It's Spanish, and it means 'virgin of unblemished character'. I chose it for you on my way here just in case, because they'd told me a little of what you've been through. But that is all in the past. Now you are with me, and to me you are pure and perfect. Every time you hear me call your name, I want you to remember that this is how I feel about you, so you also can begin to feel this way about yourself."

She drew back a little to look into his eyes, her own eyes filled with tears. But this time he could feel that they were tears of happiness. "Can you read my mind?" she asked softly.

He smiled at that. "No, Kitten. But I can hear your heart."

She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, sobbing once again, but this time with tears of joy. He held her equally tightly, rubbing her back, caressing her wings.

When she had quieted down again, she pulled back to look into his eyes again. "I love it. I love _you_!" She threw herself back into his arms, clinging to him, kissing whatever was near her lips over and over again.

He whispered into her ear, "I love you, too, Cami," knowing in his heart that he meant it completely. His mind was in turmoil, and he had no idea what the future would bring, but he knew in his heart that this girl had now become the center of his life, and he would face the future with her. He was unexpectedly, improbably in love again, for the first time in a very long time.

She purred with happiness and kissed him all the more.


	4. The First Day: Life Changes, part 4

**The First Day: Life Changes, part 4**

She was going to be alright. Daniel could see that she knew this and felt this, maybe for the first time ever.

"Camila. Ka MEE la, ka MEE la. Cami. KAM mee." She was smiling and playing with the sound of her new name.

He reached up and rubbed her ears affectionately. "Ka MMMMMMMMMEE la," she purred.

"I'll be right back, okay, Cami?"

She nodded, still smiling, and untangled her tail from his leg. She then arced her tail around his back to pull him close for a quick kiss. "Mmmmm. Ka MEE la."

Daniel chuckled softly, walked to the back door, and opened it. He found a light dimmer switch on the wall just to the left and set it to half intensity. The room beyond was clearly intended for laboratory workers who were so busy that they didn't have time to go back to their homes. Bunk beds filled the area to the left nearest the door, while to the right were sinks and hand dryers, toilet stalls, and shower stalls, as well as what looked like closets of some kind. Heavy security doors, currently closed, were set in the walls to the far left and right. The center of the room was occupied by a number of tables with chairs. Behind them and to their left on the back wall was a kitchen area complete with cabinets, a stove/oven with microwave, a sink, a dishwasher, and a large refrigerator/freezer, while to their right were a number of vending machines containing both solid and liquid items. He took all this in at a glance and headed directly to the sinks on his right.

He noticed that a number of items had been left on the sink counter – toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, a hair brush and comb, a blow dryer, and the like, in both 'his' and 'hers' varieties where it mattered. There were also towels for the showers.

On the wall above the sinks were dispensers for regular soap as well as sterilizing soap. Choosing the latter, he quickly but thoroughly washed his hands and dried them at a dryer, then he headed back to the lab, turning off the lights and closing the door.

Quickly walking back to Camila, he located the medical gloves and gauze beneath the table. "You ready, Kitten?"

In reply, she looped her tail around his waist and nodded, pulling him close. He bent down for another quick kiss, eliciting a giggle from the girl.

"Here we go…" He carefully followed Dr. Lochman's instructions for each of the tubes and then coiled them around the supports above. Her tail never moved from his waist, but it ended up not hampering his movements at all.

"Well done," Dr. Lochman said when he had finished. "You can leave the gloves in the medical waste disposal beneath the table. I've shut down the equipment. We'll come in and get it out of your way later.

"Thank you, Doctor, appreciate it. Now, Cami, we just need to get you some clothes, and then it's lunch time. Alex, what are our options?"

Alex chimed in, "See that wardrobe next to the bed? I already had Camila's measurements, so I brought her some of the outfits from our manticore shop, including some nightgowns and slippers. I brought a few things for you, too, until your own clothes get here."

"You have a manticore shop?" asked Daniel, inwardly smiling at her use of Camila's name. They didn't miss a single detail.

"You'd be surprised what we have here. It's a big place," Alex grinned. "I still owe you that tour."

"I bet I would. Thank you very much," he nodded, returning her grin. "So, come with me, young lady," he said, turning back to Camila, who smiled shyly at being referred to in that way. Daniel took the sheet that was still covering her from the waist down and brought it back up to around her shoulders, though it didn't fit over her wings. She looked at him quizzically.

"All gentlemen should protect the modesty and dignity of a lady." He then said to her in a low voice, "You're incredibly beautiful, Kitten. That means you're also incredibly distracting, which is wonderful in some situations and not so helpful in others. Plus, I really don't want any other men who might walk in to see you that way."

Her eyes lit up with understanding, and she nodded vigorously.

"So, my dear, are you ready to get off this table?"

She nodded even more vigorously.

"Okay, let's see how steady on your feet you are." He slipped his arm around her beneath her wings to support her, as well as to hold the sheet closed. With his other hand he patted her tail, still looped about his waist. "Hold on tight, okay?"

Camila nodded. She sat up and turned toward the side of the table, putting her legs down, then she stepped down from the table – and nearly fell as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her.

"Whoa there, Kitten," as he reached down with his free arm to scoop up her legs lightly. "Let's get you to the bed."

He carried her over and lay her gently on the bed, moving to sit beside her for a moment. "You haven't had any real food or drink in a long time, so you're bound to be light-headed. We'll get you some clothes and then take care of that right away, okay?"

She nodded, smiling weakly, and he was thankful at that moment that that she had been placed on life support so that she could at least receive intravenous nourishment and liquids for a short time.

"Now for the clothes. Um, Kitten," he said, reaching down to the bulb of her tail. He touched it gingerly, then, seeing no spines at all, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. He'd have to ask her about that later. "I hate to ask, but I'm going to need you to let me go here for a minute, okay?" He stroked her tail as he asked.

She giggled a little but then turned serious and said, "But I need to be touching you."

He leaned over and kissed her, then he said, "I want that, too. Right now, you need to be in bed, and I need to get you some clothes and some food. But every instant we can be, I want us to be touching, okay?"

She nodded and hugged him, smiling brightly. He kissed her tail again as she released him.

Daniel stood and went over to the wardrobe and opened it, noting large mirrors on the inner surface of the doors. It was quite spacious, with a few outfits for both her and him hung up separately; there was room for many more. Each side also had drawers in which he found underwear, socks, handkerchiefs, and the like.

Feeling only slightly embarrassed, he took out bras and panties of different colors and designs for her to choose from. "Which would you like today?" he asked.

"Which would _you_ like?" she countered, smiling demurely again. In that moment, he perceived that she wasn't just flirting with him. Consciously or not, she was inviting him to share in her femininity. She wanted him to choose so that she could feel even more embraced by him. She needed him to enjoy her, fully, with all that implied, and asking him to choose these intimate things was a way of being intimate with him, of inviting him to love her even more, so that she would feel even more loved.

"Wow," he said, momentarily at a loss for words at the power of that realization. Shaking his head in amazement, he then adopted a playful expression and brought his hand up to his chin in thoughtfulness, eyeing her critically. "Hmm. I think today is a red day."

Camila giggled and clapped happily.

He put the chosen articles on the bed and put the others away. He then pulled out a long pink silk nightgown for her and asked, "How about this?"

She smiled happily and nodded, reaching out to him with her arms and her tail.

As he returned and sat down on the bed and moved into her embrace, her tail once again looping around his waist, she whispered, "You really do hear my heart," as she pulled him into a long kiss.

Her growling stomach interrupted them again, and Daniel drew back to look at her. "Here, I'll turn my back while you change." He began to do just that, but her tail tightened about his waist, stopping him.

She said in a very small voice, "Could you help me? I've never had clothes before."

It was a simple statement, but in those few words he heard a lifetime of pain, shame, humiliation, and violation. _She's not feeling it so much now, thankfully, but she'll have a lot more tears to cry when she's ready_ , he realized.

"It would be my honor," he said, seeking to restore some measure of dignity to the mistreated girl beside him. _If you want a girl to feel like a lady, treat her like a lady_ , which is exactly what he intended to do. _His_ lady.

"Let's start with this," he said, holding up the lacy red bra. "If you have to be active, like running or flying – do you fly?" he asked, realizing he hadn't seen anything in his research about manticores flying, which seemed strange. In most of the photos he'd seen, the wings seemed too small to be functional, it was true, but in some of them, and in Camila's case, they seemed potentially large enough. She might be able to fly, or at least glide.

Camila looked puzzled and shrugged her shoulders, opening her wings and flapping a bit.

"Hmm, definitely something we'll have to try when you're feeling stronger." He flashed her a smile, and she smiled back, looking excited at that idea. She folded her wings once again.

"Anyway, this will help keep… things… in place and make you feel more comfortable. I think. Actually, I've never worn one."

She giggled at that and moved the sheet down to her waist.

Daniel's heart skipped a beat again. If her beauty weren't distracting enough, he could feel her relishing his gaze, enjoying being enjoyed by him. She jiggled intentionally a little bit, her expression… not exactly seductive, as she was too innocent for that, despite what she had been through. Passionate would be a better word, he thought.

"Kitten, remember when I was talking about distraction?"

"Mmm-hmm," she giggled.

Her stomach chose that instant to growl again, breaking the tension of the moment.

"Hmph," she pouted, and he thought he had never seen anything so cute in his life. He gave her a quick kiss, bringing a smile back to her face.

"I'll tell you this, Kitten. What we were just feeling is the way it's supposed to be with a man and a woman. And it gets a lot better from there. But before we go there, we need to have a talk about what the law of this land permits, okay? But even before that, we need to get you dressed so you can eat something."

She nodded, smiling.

"Okay, so, here we go," he said, taking a deep breath, sliding the bra over her breasts, reaching around beneath her wings to tie it, and then reaching up behind her neck to tie it there, all the while idly wondering whether her fingers were dexterous enough for her to do this by herself. If not, they'd either have to find a style that she could manage, or he'd have to keep doing this. She'd probably prefer the latter. He probably would, too. He was getting distracted again.

"All set. Now for these…," as he held up the panties. "You don't need me for these, do you?" he asked, knowing they would be even more trouble for him than the bra was.

"Need, no. Want, yes," she said, her voice almost teasing. Her smile, too. He had to admit, he liked the way she thought – as well as the way she was looking at him.

"Okay, then," he smiled, taking another deep breath, steeling himself. It wouldn't help, he knew, but he had to try.

Camila moved the sheet off the rest of her body, and Daniel's heart nearly stopped entirely. If he'd thought she was curvy from the waist up… Her legs were exquisitely shaped, the deep-blue fur from her feet-paws extending up to mid-thigh and ending in a circle of longer indigo fur. Her hips were even more exquisite, with just the right amount of extra padding, not an ounce too much nor too little. How this girl managed to have so many curves on such a slender frame – and after being nearly starved… She was far beyond any work of art he could ever have imagined. What got to him even more, though, was her scent, which was both delicate and intoxicating at the same time. If he were going to do this, he had to do it right then.

He slid the panties over her feet-paws and up her legs. _Her fur is really soft…_ As he reached the indigo fur of her thighs, she lifted her hips off the bed for him, taking the opportunity to move them slowly in small circles. "Cami…" He heard her giggling, clearly enjoying the effect she had on him. In a herculean effort of will, he slid her panties up to her hips, which were still moving. Her skin was even softer than her fur, if that were possible. It took all his willpower to pull his hands away. His breathing labored, he moved to sit back beside her, struggling to maintain control.

"I like," she said as he felt her drinking in his arousal. "Can you help me take my clothes off, too?"

At that, Daniel was beyond words. One more episode like this, and he'd either have a heart attack or end up breaking the law and being sent to prison, and who would protect Camila from the likes of that Packard woman then?

That sobering thought was enough to clear his head. He'd been feeling almost desperate to get her to eat and drink something, but this wasn't going to wait.

"Camila, honey, I need you to hear me, please."

Seeing how serious he had suddenly become, she stopped playing and looked deeply into his eyes, a little worried, her ears perked up to full attention.

He began, touching her cheek reassuringly, "I really love doing this with you – being this way with you. But there is something you need to know that puts a limit on how far we can go.

She nuzzled his hand and nodded, completely focused on him.

He continued caressing her cheek, trying to decide how much she needed to know, given the unique way she had come to be there.

"It was only a year ago that laws were passed to allow liminals – people like yourself – to become part of human society in this country. A whole program was set up to help that to happen. It started in Japan four years ago, and it went well enough that it came to the US just last year. I signed up for it myself, which is why I'm here with you now."

She smiled and kissed his hand softly as he continued to stroke her, her eyes shining.

"The laws that you need to know about are that no liminal may harm a human, and, more importantly to you right now, no human may harm a liminal. The penalty for violating that is deportation for the liminal and serious prison time for the human. This is why that Dr. Reynard and that Packard woman are in serious trouble if I tell the higher-ups about how they've treated you." He specifically did not want to mention her abusers right now, because he needed her focused on their particular issue.

She nodded, pulling him a little closer with her tail and putting a hand on his free hand, interlinking her three fingers with his four. She smiled happily at how their hands fit together and started purring.

He continued, "This all affects us in a couple of very important ways. First, I am now legally your host and guardian. I am responsible for you. This means not only taking care of you but also teaching you how to be part of our society. To do this, we'll get to go out together and do lots of fun things. We'll talk more about this a little later, because I want to show you what our options are and hear what kinds of things sound appealing to you."

She smiled and nodded at that, but she sensed there was a 'but' coming and looked a little worried. Her purring continued, however.

"So, here's the downside," he said gently, hoping against hope that this would not cause her to fixate on the memories of her abuse. "The law's definition of 'harm' between liminals and humans includes, well, sex. This is because there are some liminal species that are predatory and will force sex on humans without their permission. It's happened a lot in the past, apparently. And as much as I hate the idea of it, there are some humans who are only interested in having sex with liminals, not in caring for them. So, to protect both groups, sex was made illegal."

Camila's face was downcast, and her ears were downturned as well. Her purring had stopped, and tears were welling up in her eyes.

Daniel was extremely thankful that she hadn't been scarred for life by what she had suffered. He'd been afraid that she might never be able to have any kind of relationship with anyone. However, her behavior with him had shown that she was more than able – in fact, she desired it greatly, and with him. That was almost beyond his comprehension and was certainly unexpected. It broke his heart to see her this way, but he was grateful that she was focused on him and not on her abuse. He reached his hand up from her face to rub her ears, which started her purring again. She looked up at him through her tears, smiling wistfully. He leaned over and kissed her then pulled back to look into her eyes.

"There is some good news about this, though. First, it seems there has been a big outcry from happy interspecies couples who want to get closer, and I understand that the government is fast-tracking legislation to make this possible. Second, I think you and I will be okay if we don't go any further than we've gone so far. The challenge for me will be controlling myself, because," he confessed with complete sincerity, because he felt she needed to hear it," I _really_ want you, in every possible way. I'll need you to help me with that, okay?"

Camila pulled him close and kissed him long and deep. He could tell that she was about to cry again, though he wasn't sure exactly why this time. Before she did, though, he wanted to say one more thing.

Pulling back apologetically, he said, "Honey, you didn't let me get to the best part. I wanted to say that, law or no law, I would like to officially ask you to be my girlfriend, if you will have…"

Before he was even able to finish his sentence, she gave a little squeal of joy and pulled him back down into a passionate kiss, wrapping around him her arms, legs, and even her wings, holding him tightly, her tears forgotten. He smiled into the kiss and lay down with her, holding her to himself as well.

* * *

"Okay, Kitten, let's get this nightgown on you so we can eat. I'm hungry, too."

"My boyfriend!" Camila was so happy she almost couldn't contain herself. She was positively radiating joy. "Can I have a special name for you, too?" she asked as she unwrapped herself from him, except for her tail, which she kept around his waist.

Daniel stroked her tail gently. "Sure, if you can think of one you like."

He picked up the nightgown and examined it. "Oh, Cami, take a look at this. See here, this is for your tail, and we just tie it here once your tail is through. This space is for your wings, and we tie this around the back of your neck. I like it. It'll have to go on tail first, then your feet and on up."

Camila play-pouted a little and then giggled as she had to unwrap her tail from his waist to slide it through. He then slid her feet through as she raised her hips for him. To distract himself, he considered whether or not her foot-pads were ticklish.

"What's Spanish for 'boyfriend'?" she asked sweetly as he worked the nightgown over her hips. It was a little snug. She wrapped her tail around his waist once again.

"Hmm? Oh, it's ' _novio'_. But that's not as special a word to them as 'kitten' is to me."

"How about 'fiancé'?" Now he was at her breasts. It was a little snug there, too. And this girl was getting ideas…

" _'Novio'_ again, or ' _prometido'_. They don't quite roll off the tongue, do they?"

"'Husband'?" Now he was tying the gown at the back of her neck. He reached down to tie off where her tail had gone through. Yep, definitely getting ideas.

" _'Esposo'_. They also use ' _mi amor_ ', ' _mi vida_ ', ' _querido_ ', and ' _cariño_ ', for 'my love', 'my life', and 'dear' or 'darling'. But they're still not as special as 'kitten' is to me. It's because they use them so commonly without really feeling what they mean each time they say it, almost like a reflex. That's what I saw, anyway. There we go, all finished. How does it feel?"

She was pouting for real this time. "Well, what name would you like me to use for you?"

"Honestly, the names I like best are 'Sweetheart' or 'Honey'. I'm not complicated," he said as he looked down at his handiwork. She wore the gown beautifully. But then, she would wear anything beautifully. He tried to keep his eyes from lingering on the particularly snug areas. _I do hope it's comfortable enough for her._

Camila's face brightened instantly, "Sweetheart! Thank you for helping me, Sweetheart. It feels really good. Don't you think so?" She smiled sweetly at him.

Okay, two could play at this game. "It does, I agree, but you feel better."

"Thank you, Sweetheart. You can help me take it off later," she giggled. She was learning very quickly how to tease him.

"Okay, you win," throwing up his hands in surrender, his mind going back to the episode with her underwear... It didn't escape him that she'd become almost a little chatterbox. He loved seeing her this happy. "Let me go get the food they brought for us. I hope it's not cold."

Patting her tail gently so that she would release him for a moment, he got up, retrieved the bag, and brought it over to the bed. He didn't want her to have to sit at the table and risk getting dizzy again. The food had been packed in special insulated packaging, so it was still quite warm, he was glad to see. "Looks like we have a steak meal and a chicken meal, both with potatoes and vegetables. The steak is probably yours, but you can have the chicken if you'd rather. Do you like potatoes and vegetables?"

"I don't know, but I can try them. The steak smells delicious."

"I'll get some plates and utensils from the kitchen. Can you use utensils? Oh, and here's some water you can have right away. Please go slow with it. Your stomach will probably be sensitive for a while," he said, removing the cap for her.

She accepted the water gratefully and followed his advice, taking slow sips. Shrugging, she said, "I hope so. It will be my first time."

He leaned down to kiss her forehead then headed to the back room, pondering these firsts for her. The indignities she had suffered... He'd heard that the team that had found her had taken photos and videos, but he wasn't sure he wanted to see them. He absolutely would if she needed him to, but if not… well, he preferred not to see things he couldn't un-see unless it was truly necessary.

He found dishes in the back cabinets and utensils and also napkins in the drawers.

When he returned, he found Camila already eating the steak with her hands, noting for the first time that, unsurprisingly, some of her teeth were like those of a large cat, particularly the incisors. How he'd missed that when kissing her, he wasn't sure. He chocked it up to sensory overload. She looked up at him sheepishly and stopped chewing.

"Please, don't stop," he said quickly. He'd have waved his hands, too if they hadn't been full. "I totally understand. Here, I brought some napkins." He set them down beside her along with the plates, putting the utensils on the plates and grabbing a drumstick. He whispered to her confidentially, "Chicken isn't meant to be eaten with utensils, either," and took a big bite, eliciting giggles from the girl once again. _She has the cutest giggle_ , he thought.

* * *

It turned out that Camila had no trouble eating potatoes and vegetables. They weren't her favorites, but she was so hungry that she devoured them, despite Daniel's cautioning her to go slowly. When she had finished everything, he offered her one of his potatoes that he hadn't eaten yet, and she downed that as well.

Daniel looked at her and smiled, pleased she had eaten and drunk everything she'd been given. Handing her another bottle of water, he finished up his own meal, which had actually been surprisingly tasty. If the food had been prepared on base, and it likely had been, they clearly had first-rate chefs. He wondered if they offered room service.

When he'd finished, he wiped his hands on a napkin and asked, "How are you feeling?"

She licked her lips and said, "Wonderful! That was the best meal I've ever had."

He smiled again and reached over to rub her ears, making her purr loudly. "Mmmmm, I love it when you do that," she sighed happily.

"Well, I love doing it," he said in a low voice. Then he noticed that she was holding up her hand-paws. "Need to wash up," he asked?

She nodded with a giggle.

"Want me to take you?"

"Are you sure you're not reading my mind?" she asked, actually laughing.

This was the first time he had heard her laugh; it was a musical, magical sound. "Just your eyes and your heart, Love."

He got up from the bed, reached out for her, and then scooped her up lightly into his arms. She was holding her hand-paws up just like a kitten would, looking up at him, radiating joy once again. _She's so perfect_ , he thought as he carried her to the back room. _She's nothing short of a miracle._ He was very thankful that all of this was happening, even as his mind struggled with believing it was real.

"Sweetheart, how did you get to be so perfect?" Camila asked softly, reaching the velvet tip of her tail up from his waist to brush his cheek lightly.

"Now you're reading my mind, Kitten," he laughed, kissing her tail and opening the door carefully. "I was just thinking the same thing about you. The truth is, you make it easy. I've been needing you for a long time."

"I've always needed you, Daniel," she confessed, and he heard the full weight of her heart behind that.

He bent down to kiss her forehead tenderly. She tilted her head up to bring her lips to his, putting her arms around his neck.

After several minutes, Daniel said, breathless, "I could do that for the rest of my life."

"Mmmmm, I accept," Camila smiled, looking deeply into his eyes.

He looked deeply into hers as well, seeing that she was truly ready to take that leap with him, without a single reservation in her heart. He knew what she needed to hear. And, as crazy as his mind was telling him it was, his heart was right there with hers. He spoke the words his heart needed hers to hear.

"Then, my love, I give you my heart, to have and to hold, to love and to protect, whatever the future may bring. I am yours for as long as we both shall live."

Tears forming in her eyes, her voice catching in her throat, she echoed his words with her whole being. "My love, I give you my heart, to have and to hold, to love and to protect, whatever the future may bring. I am yours for as long as we both shall live."

Tears in his own eyes, he sealed the moment with a kiss, pouring everything of himself into her, and feeling her doing the same.

"I love you," she breathed against his lips.

"And I love you, my Kitten," he responded.

After another long kiss, he quietly asked her, "Would you like to wash your hands now?"

Camila giggled. Then she laughed. She laughed so hard that she couldn't stop laughing. It was the cutest and sweetest sound he had ever heard. He laughed with her, marveling once again at how perfect she was.

When she finally was able to stop, she looked into his eyes again and said with great passion, "I want to make you as happy as you are making me."

"You already are, Kitten. You already are," he said sincerely as he looked back into her eyes. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to set you down. You're getting a little heavy."

She nodded, laughing again, and he set her down at a sink, still keeping an arm under her wings to support her. Realizing that this was probably all new to her, he turned the water on for her with his free hand.

"Just put your hands under here for the soap," he said, pushing the regular dispenser for her. When she'd washed her hand-paws, he said, "Now over here to the dryers." Keeping his arm under her wings, he let her try to support her own weight, ready to take over in an instant if need be. She was still a little shaky, but she managed to take the few steps to the dryers on her own. He noticed that at full height, she was about three inches shorter than he was, though her ears made up the difference. . He wondered idly how old she really was and if she had finished growing. He wondered if she even knew.

"Hold out your hands here," he said as he positioned his free hand under the dryer. "You'll like this," he smiled as he pushed the button and started the flow of warm air.

She gave a cute little squeal of delight and rubbed her hands together and over each other until they were dry.

"See? Perfect," he said as he leaned over to quickly kiss her cheek.

Her eyes shining happily, she turned and kissed him back on the lips. She then looked around the room and asked, "What are all these things?"

"Well, these beds here must be for lab workers, for when they can't go back to their own homes. They probably figured I'd sleep here so you could have the bed out there."

"Wha…?" she turned quickly, looking at him with concern in her eyes, but he just as quickly placed a finger gently over her lips. "Don't worry, Kitten, I'm not leaving you alone. We'll just need to be careful, okay?"

"Okay," she smiled shyly, kissing his finger and putting her arms around him. "What about that?" she asked, pointing at the refrigerator.

He went with her around the room, showing her everything and answering all of her questions. She had a lot of questions; she was curious about everything, and he was really enjoying explaining all the little details he could, as well as the culture behind the details. Even the toilets and the showers were new to her, prompting him once again to wonder what she must have suffered. He'd be ready if and when she needed him to go through it with her.

* * *

When they returned to the lab, Alex's voice rang out over the intercom. "Hey, Dan, can we talk to you for a minute?"

Looking over at the monitor, he saw that both Alex and Dr. Lochman were still at their posts. Both were looking at him; Dr. Lochman's expression was one of skepticism and thinly-veiled disapproval, whereas Alex's was of amusement and… could that be a hint of jealousy he saw? Regardless, he'd been expecting this.

"Sure, if Cami's invited," he smiled.

Sensing something herself, Camila's tail tightened a bit around his waist as she looked first at the monitor and then up at him. "Sweetheart?"

"I have to explain the things we just said back there," he indicated the back room with a motion of his head. "It's not a human custom to say the things we said after knowing each other for only…," he looked at his watch, which read 4:55pm, "about four hours. Do you trust me?"

"Always," she said without hesitation, smiling and leaning her weight against him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you, Kitten. I've got this." He began walking her back to the bed. "That okay?" he called out to Alex.

"Yeah, guess you two are like a package deal now," she grinned. She had to admit to herself that for such an average-looking guy, he'd been one surprise after another, which she found extremely refreshing and all too rare. She didn't know how this would play out, but she couldn't wait to hear what he would say next.

From Dr. Lochman's expression, it looked like she'd been on a slow simmer for too long and was at the point of boiling over, finally free to give voice to her displeasure. "What in the world were you thinking, saying those things to her?!" she blurted out.

Camila recoiled a little at her tone and tightened her hold on Daniel, but he smiled at her reassuringly and held her close. "Before I answer that, Dr. Lochman, can you tell me Camila's current medical condition?"

"What?!" she exclaimed.

In a very calm, steady, and soothing voice, he gently asked, "Doctor, how's she doing?"

"Well, I, uh…" she stammered, looking down at her instruments, already knowing what they indicated. "She's doing unbelievably well. She's on the road to complete recovery."

"Thank you, Doctor. To answer your question, everything I've done, every single word I've said to her, has been to bring healing and love into her heart. She was dying because she'd lost the will to live. She'd lost hope. With all that she's been through, and with the way she was treated when she got here, I don't blame her one bit. In order to have any chance of helping her, I had to love her, completely and unreservedly, with no holding back. If I had held anything back, anything at all, she would have felt it, and I'd have lost her. To put it simply, the only way to save her was to love her.

"But it's much more than just that," he continued. "Before I applied to be a host, I did a lot of research on liminals. With a few exceptions, almost every species in the program knows that the most important thing in life is love. They know that _nothing_ in this life is more important. And even more than that, they actually know how to love. We humans could learn a lot from them. We think we know what's important for us, but we get hung up on stupid, superficial things that have no real meaning at all. We sabotage our own relationships because we're so selfish that we only want what we want when we want it, and if we don't get it, we're ready to throw everything else away. But when a liminal loves, she gives herself completely, with no holding back and no turning back. She will sacrifice her own blood and sweat and tears to make sure the one she loves is safe and secure, simply because she loves. And when she gives her heart, it's for life. This is especially true for manticores, who will literally die without their mates.

"This girl's heart is beautiful and pure, and she knows how to love like this. It's all she's ever wanted. My wife understood this, too – it's why I married her. I never expected to find this kind of miracle love again, but here I am, thanks to you and your agency, here to save a girl more beautiful and loving than I could ever have imagined possible by giving her exactly the love she's been needing and wanting all her life. And it turns out that doing that also happens to be exactly what I have been needing and wanting all these years. Happy coincidence, that.

"So, yes, because I can see her heart and what kind of girl she is, I will absolutely give my heart to her, with no holding back and no turning back. And I will cherish and care for and protect her heart for as long as there is breath in me. So, that's what I was thinking. Any questions?" he asked with a slight smile, eyebrows raised, ready to answer any they might have.

Dr. Lochman was staring at him with her mouth open, shocked into silence. She then closed her mouth and nodded slowly, saying quietly, "I believe I understand. Bravo, Mr. Carson, bravo," a newfound respect for him in her eyes.

Alex muted the mic and turned to her, grinning broadly, "Never a dull moment with this guy. And I gotta admit, if he treated me the way he's been treating her, I'd probably want to marry him, too."

"I thought he was just trying to make her feel better. I never imagined he was really serious. He's really thought this through. Do you think we should we tell him now?" the doctor asked.

Looking at the couple on her monitor, Alex said, "Looks to me like they're gonna need some more alone time. Yep, definitely. Besides, much as I'd like to, it should probably come from Abigail."

The doctor nodded, turning the monitor and the mic off.

Meanwhile, Daniel looked down to find Camila staring at him, an ocean of emotions in her eyes. He could see that her emotions were so strong that she had no words for them. But he could feel what they were. In the last two minutes he had validated her entire existence, given purpose to all of her suffering. If she hadn't suffered all that she had, she would never have been brought there to meet him. And beyond that, he'd not only seen the agony of her heart but had also given her the only thing that could not only take that agony away but also give her healing, life, and hope for the future. He had given her his love. He had even given her his heart. Somehow, he knew the depths of her heart, and though she had known from the instant she'd felt his touch and looked into his eyes that she was his then and forever, now she knew even more deeply what kind of man he was and how right she had been. There were no words for how intensely she loved him in that moment. Her heart was so full that it felt like it was going to explode, and her eyes were beginning to tear up.

"It's okay, Love, I hear you. You don't have to say a word. I feel the same," he whispered, his own eyes tearing up in response to her feelings. He smiled and kissed her forehead, then finished leading her to the bed.

She was trembling with emotion as he gently helped her to lie down, still looking up at him. It was as if he had touched all of the pain, horror, and shame of her life and purified it in a moment. She no longer even felt the need to cry about it, at least, not right then. But there was one thing she did need in that moment. She needed to be held.

He nodded, smiling, and lay down beside her, pulling her close to rest her head over his heart, just holding her. He started rubbing her ears, knowing it was going to take some time for her to process her feelings and get used to her new life. Her healing, while far from completed, had taken a number of very important steps today. Her trembling stopped as she relaxed into his arms, purring, softly crying tears of joy. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I love you, Camila."

* * *

In a darkened room of indeterminable size, a single light glowed, illuminating the sharp features of Dr. Susan Packard as she sat hunched over the communications device, tuning it to the correct frequency with practiced fingers.

"Report," an emotionless male voice commanded.

Bristling at his tone, she nevertheless maintained her composure. "We've had a setback."

"Explain."

"They've called in an outsider to take care of the beast." That last word was voiced with particular loathing. "She's not going to die, so I won't have samples for you as planned. And my position here may have been compromised." _How could he possibly have known that I was going to let her die?_ That thought haunted her more than she cared to admit.

"Was the implantation successful?"

"Yes, Dr. Reynard was able to inject the experimental nanites before they gained access to her. We have full readings on her vitals."

"That may be sufficient for the short term. And your other projects?"

"Progressing as expected, though if my position has indeed been compromised, we'll need backup plans."

"Very well. Send the telemetry info at once. Check in as scheduled, and await further instructions. Out."

Though it galled her to be taking orders like this, Dr. Packard had bigger concerns at the moment. She complied with the brusque order then powered off the device and sat there in the darkness, seething. Her plan had been going flawlessly, but now all was in jeopardy because of one insignificant _man_! Who did he think he was to talk to her that way – and in front of subordinates, no less? And how could he have known… She violently wrenched her mind free from that troubling thought. It didn't matter. She was sure of one thing: she was smarter than this Daniel Carson, and she was going to make him suffer for his insolence if it was the last thing she did! That thought brought comfort to her cold heart and a sneering smile to her lips.


	5. The First Day: Life Changes, part 5

**The First Day: Life Changes, part 5**

"Right, let's get started. Thank you for coming on a Saturday at this late hour; this wasn't going to wait until Monday morning," began Overseer Peter Brent as the replica of the Osaka Station City water clock that spanned one of the two remaining non-glass walls of his corner office signaled 8:00pm. Outside, the last vestiges of a spectacular sunset with vivid yellows, oranges, and purples could be seen as the already-set sun cast its final daylight-savings rays onto thunderheads gathering ominously from the northeast.

Overseer Brent was a tall, lean man with silver hair and slate-gray eyes, still at the peak of health in his late 50s thanks to a disciplined and decades-long regimen of jujutsu, a pursuit he'd acquired from his wife, the daughter of one of the original founders of the ICEP.

James Montrose was seated opposite Brent at the far end of the large oval table mirroring the one in his own office, with Gerald Oswald and Susan Packard seated at either side.

"Sir, I think this is highly unfair…" Dr. Packard began in her nasal voice, her sour expression reflecting her displeasure at the proceedings, but she let her protest die grudgingly when Brent held up a hand to silence her.

"You'll have your chance to speak in a moment," the overseer said evenly but firmly. "First, I want you all to know that I've reviewed the Crater footage of what happened this afternoon. All of it. I have some questions for each of you.

"Mr. Oswald," he said, turning to the bald, well-muscled black man on his left, "You assigned two armed security guards to the lab in which… 'Camila' is it? was placed, correct?"

"Yes, sir, I did," Oswald replied in the relaxed, low-pitched, resonant voice that was his signature. His voice was so powerful that without raising it he could silence a crowded room. "As you know, standard procedure is to take all possible safety precautions with unknown new arrivals until they can be verified non-hostile."

"Quite right. Can you explain, then, why a new employee was allowed into the lab despite these safety precautions?" Oswald continued, his voice still even.

"Yes, sir," Oswald responded, unfazed. "I've spoken with the agents present. They were aware that the subject was very close to death, and they were informed on the spot by Agent Alexandra Jones that the new employee had been flown in for the express purpose of trying to save her life. He was permitted entry for two reasons: first, to give him the opportunity to do just that, and second, to attempt to prevent a diplomatic incident. He was even willing to risk his life."

"Very good, Mr. Oswald. Thank you. Please commend your men on a job well done. Their good judgment may very well have prevented that diplomatic incident, not to mention that they did in fact contribute to saving the life of the girl. Do you have anything else to add?"

"Thank you, sir, I do. You should know that the men were 'ordered' by Dr. Reynard – citing orders from Dr. Packard, here – not to let anyone else enter the lab under any circumstances. He didn't give a reason, but they figured he must have had one."

"Yes, I saw that. Thank you. Mr. Montrose, do you have anything to add to what you've already told me?" he asked, turning to the big man at the end of the table.

"You betcha. Dr. Lochman's finished goin' over all the data and footage from the time they started monitoring Camila's condition when she got here. She was already in bad shape, and they show her steady decline and the questionable 'treatments' Dr. Packard tried, not to mention some bedside manner that was downright abusive. Not only that, but Reynard's folded. He gave us some recordings he'd made of private conversations with Packard, here. 'Insurance', he called it. Seems he was expecting her to double-cross him. Can I play a part of it for ya?"

"I don't have to sit here and listen to these _lies_. I'm leaving," spat Packard as she fixed Montrose with a disdainful sneer and rose from her seat.

"Indeed you are, Ms. Packard," Brent agreed. "You will be taken to holding until such time as Legal and I have reviewed this new evidence," he said, signaling to Oswald. "Due to your own lies and recalcitrant behavior, your days with DIA have come to an end. All that remains is to determine whether you will be simply escorted off the premises or handed over for incarceration."

"Do yourself a favor and go quietly. Think you can do that?" asked Oswald, also rising from his seat as he touched a spot just above his left forearm. The spot lit up, momentarily revealing a glowing holographic button, one of an array of multicolored holographic controls and readouts extending nearly up to his elbow. The controls faded as two armed guards entered the office and approached Packard.

"You have no idea who you are dealing with...," Packard said haughtily as the guards cuffed her and began leading her away.

"'Whom'," Brent corrected. "And we will find out. Or do you think we lack the resources to do that?"

As the door closed behind Packard and the guards, Brent said to Oswald, "See that her security pass is revoked – and Reynard's as well. Pick him up and take him to holding, but let him know that certain… 'concessions' may be available if he cooperates further. Conduct a thorough search of their quarters and any areas they have had access to. And start digging into who they're working for. I suspect my predecessor may have had some nefarious affiliations. Let me know if you need any special access. Oh, and if you happen to come across that harpy egg, do let me know."

"Will do, sir, and already underway. Good weekend to you both." Oswald moved to the door, pressing another control on his forearm and giving orders as he exited the room.

"Mr. Montrose, I'll leave it to you to terminate the projects they had going, pending a full review of each. You're to take charge of Research until a new director can be appointed. I trust you can handle the extra workload for a time?"

"Can do. Feels good to finally get rid of the last holdovers of the old administration, doesn't it?" Montrose asked with a grin as he rose to leave.

"Indeed it does, Jim," Brent confided. "Stellar job today, and congratulations on a stellar find as well."

"Thank ya, sir. I got high hopes for Mr. Daniel Carson, yessiree."

* * *

Camila stirred, her senses instantly coming into razor focus, as normal. They were never truly quiescent, even when she was asleep, which she had been. She'd drifted off while lying atop Daniel, her head over his heart. One velvet wing covered them both like a blanket. She lay there with eyes closed for a moment, quietly taking in her surroundings. She heard and felt the slow beating of Daniel's heart, heard and felt his relaxed breathing. She breathed in the masculine scent that was so uniquely his. She heard and felt every tiny movement of his body, within and without. He was awake and watching her; she could feel his gaze. The fingers of one of his hands began to rub her ears, setting off little bursts of pleasure in her chest. His spirit completely suffused her like a soft, gentle cloud of the purest white. His touch continuously nourished her in way mere food never could. He had saved her – was continuing to save her minute by minute. She had never known love before, but she knew she loved him.

But now, even Daniel's touch was not enough. She had known this moment would come. The hunger that had been growing within her for days would no longer be denied. She felt it in the pit of her stomach, gnawing at her. She _needed_ to feed. And she was afraid – afraid that he would reject her when he found out... But he was her only hope. She could not have found him after so long, so much pain, only to lose him now; it was unthinkable. She had to trust him. She _did_ trust him.

"I need you," she said in a small voice, wondering if would hear her. He'd been so good at hearing her.

"You have me, Kitten," came the instant reply, the calming sound of his spirit in his voice easing a little of the pain of the fire within her. "I… Oh..., I see. Well, let's find out what's happening with that," he continued, and she knew he'd heard her. He always heard her. Love for him welled up anew and filled her heart to overflowing as she clung to him; so intense was it that little tears began to form.

"Alex, are you still out there?" she heard and felt him ask. She expanded her awareness to take in the tiny beeps and clicks of consoles and air circulators and the low hum of the electric undercurrent, the ambient sounds of the lab. She heard the slightly musical chirp when the large monitor activated, the click and the fraction of a second of static hiss as the intercom engaged.

"Hello, Mr. Carson – Daniel. This is Abigail. Alex had to go off-duty. I'm here with Dr. William Barstowe. We'll be with you for the night shift. Er, Daniel?"

"Here!" Camila felt him raise an arm and move to sit up on the bed. She reluctantly folded her wing and moved off him onto the bed – only to have him gently pull her back onto him when he'd sat up against the headboard. Now she was leaning back against his stomach and chest at a slight angle so that her folded wings would not block his vision, and his arms had moved to embrace her, hands folded about her waist. She purred happily, putting her hand-paws over his hands and arcing her ears toward the monitor. He must have known she needed his touch. She did her best to subdue the fire burning in her stomach while she waited.

"Good evening to you, Mr. Carson," Dr. Barstowe said warmly. "I understand you've had quite an afternoon." Camila saw a middle-aged man with glasses, balding, but with an energy in his hazel eyes. His spirit was a bright, vivid green, though she hadn't known enough people yet to understand what this meant. She wondered how Daniel saw him.

"You could say that," Daniel chuckled. "I've got a major question for you both."

"Before you ask," Abigail said, "we've got some very important information for you. It's about Camila's physical condition. Dr. Lochman has finished going over the data, and there are some things you need to know." Abigail looked an awful lot like the other woman who had been there before – Alex, but there were obvious physical differences. Also, whereas Alex's spirit was a strong yellow with tints of orange and red, Abigail's was a pale yellow bordering on white. They really were quite different.

"I'm all ears," Daniel replied. Camila felt a surge of apprehension – and shame. Daniel was about to know.

"OK, here we go," Abigail began. "The first thing we noticed right away was that Camila's tailspines are missing. You've probably seen that yourself. Here's where things get a little… delicate. Please forgive me." She paused and took a deep breath, blushing, then carried on. "A physical examination showed that the entrance to her vagina is sealed. An internal exam showed that everything is in the right place and healthy, it's just that the entrance is sealed. Finally, we found that the size of her stomach is much smaller than we expected, and her bio-energy levels are dangerously low. We think we know why."

"Cami?" Daniel asked very softly. She began to tremble in his arms.

"I-I-I… h-had to adapt… away f-from them…" she stammered, covering her face with her hand-paws, grateful that he couldn't see her face at that moment. "Th-they were using my spines to… Th-they wanted babies… They st-stopped feeding me… S-so my only food w-was…" She wailed loudly and turned about, burying her face in Daniel's shoulder and neck. "P-please don't hate me! Please d-don't leave me!" she cried out mournfully as sobs wracked her body. Flashes of vivid memories crashed through her defenses, searing her mind and piercing her heart like flaming daggers. The pain, grief, and humiliation were so intense that she was blinded to everything else for what seemed like an eternity. She could feel herself screaming.

* * *

At length, slowly, her senses began to focus once again as the pain eased, and she became aware of… singing? No sooner had she realized it than she also became aware of its effect on her. Somehow, it was taking the pain away. Daniel's spirit was intermingling with hers; she could feel intricate swirling patterns, almost like a dance, as their spirits resonated, blended, and became one. She felt herself being healed, renewed, restored. How had he known to do this? Then she remembered that she'd felt this same effect once before, only a few hours ago, like the hazy memory of a dream nearly forgotten. She let the sound carry her, nourish her, nurture her, until Daniel stopped a few minutes later. She still had the fire in her stomach, but all of her other pain had gone.

"I don't hate you, and I'm not going to leave you," Daniel whispered softly directly into her ears. "I love you and want to be with you always. I just have one question for you. Does this mean you can adapt to me?"

"Yes!" Camila practically shouted with excitement. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!" she actually did shout, kissing him over and over, laughing with happiness. Once again, Daniel had taken her pain and purified it, healing another area of her heart and mind in the process. He wasn't worried about her past – he cared about their future. And he'd touched the deepest desire of her heart – to truly become one with him, as her species defined oneness. This meant exactly what he'd said – adapting to him. She knew this instinctively with every fiber of her being.

When she finally stopped kissing him, she realized that his arms were around her, holding her, rubbing her wings softly. She rested her head on his shoulder and took several slow, deep breaths, suddenly feeling tired again. These abrupt extremes of emotion were taking their toll on her in her weakened state.

"I'm going to take that as a 'yes'," he chuckled. "So, how do we do that?"

She looked up at him shyly and whispered, "I need you."

"That's what I thought," he said, chuckling again. "Hold that thought," he said and kissed her forehead. "Abigail, Doctor, is there anything else I need to know?"

The monitor, which apparently had been turned off during Camila's blindness, came on again, and Abigail responded, "Yes, but it can wait. Daniel, before anything else, I want to thank you so much for saving Camila. You know how close to my heart this situation has been," she said earnestly. "What you're doing with her is just amazing."

"I want to thank _you_ for bringing me in on this," Daniel replied in turn. "I don't know if you can know just how much you've changed both of our lives; I am eternally grateful. I think we both are." Camila nodded her head against his shoulder. "Just keep in mind that I can only do this with one girl. So, you said that her bio-energy levels are dangerously low. You know how we need to fix that, right?"

"That's actually the one other thing I wanted to talk to you about that couldn't wait. Despite the immediacy of Camila's need, the only legal way is for you to be married. I don't know if you know, but provisional legislation was passed earlier this week to allow select interspecies couples to marry. The provision is that our organization has been charged with selecting a limited number of qualified and interested couples to participate in such a union for a period of three months. This period of time was chosen…"

Camila suddenly sat bolt upright and interrupted, "Please choose us!" She was looking directly at Abigail, but then she turned to look deeply into Daniel's eyes. "Please?" Her brow furrowed with the intensity of her need.

Daniel smiled and drew her gently back into his arms to kiss her; he then said to Abigail, "That's really convenient timing. And you heard the lady. We'd love to participate, even if we didn't have an immediate need."

Camila held him tightly and then turned back around to look at Abigail. It would take her some time to get used to being called a lady, but she liked it very much.

Abigail was smiling as she responded, "I had you two in mind. You know, Alex was sending me messages all afternoon about how you two were doing. You'll be our first couple, and I have a really good feeling about this. So, the next question I have for you is: when would you like to tie the knot?"

Camila again immediately said, "Today? Now? Could we?"

Abigail laughed, and even Dr. Barstowe chuckled good-naturedly. "In fact, you can," Abigail said. "It so happens that all we need is just to get you two committing to each other on video. Alex played for me what you'd said to each other earlier, and that was perfect, but technically it's not legal because you didn't know about the legislation and there were no formal witnesses. We need every legal 'I' dotted and 'T' crossed. What we don't need for the moment is a justice or someone to preside over this – most liminals don't marry this way, and it was decided not to force our human customs on them. So, if you just say those same words again now, with Dr. Barstowe and myself as the witnesses, it will be binding, and that's all we need for the moment. We can take care of the paperwork and the formal ceremony at a later time."

"Well, that's easy." Daniel caressed Camila's cheek to guide her eyes back to his, then he took her hand-paws in his, looked deeply into her shining violet eyes, and said, "Camila, my love, I give you my heart, to have and to hold, to love and to protect, whatever the future may bring. I am yours for as long as we both shall live."

Camila teared up immediately and almost broke down and cried from the intensity of her feelings. Her greatest dream was coming true right before her eyes and ears. Tears flowed freely as she held his hands, looked into his eyes, and repeated with a broken voice, "Daniel, my love… I give you my heart… to have and to hold… to love and to protect… whatever the future may bring… I am yours for… as long as… we both shall live… I love you **_so_** much!" She clung to him tightly and kissed all over his face, crying all the while.

Abigail was crying as well, and even Dr. Barstowe had tears in his eyes. After a moment to regain her composure, Abigail said, "Daniel, that's all we need. We'll give you some privacy now. Oh, and there will be some food for you in the back room if you want it. It will be in the refrigerator, so you don't have to worry about it. Goodnight, and _congratulations_!" And with that, the monitor went dark.

* * *

Camila's eyelids and body were heavy with fatigue, but the fire in her stomach was not going to let her sleep. She couldn't wait any longer. "Daniel, I…" she began, looking deeply into his eyes.

"I hear you, Kitten. You're starving. It's okay if our first time isn't so romantic. We can make up for it when you're stronger." He gently rolled over with her to lay her on the bed, being careful of her wings, then he sat up and pulled off his shirt and removed his shoes and the rest of his clothes. Seeing him like this for the first time, with the potency of his spirit unleashed and glowing powerfully around him, her pulse quickened, and her hunger intensified and spread to other parts of her body. She _wanted_ him.

He reached down and behind her to undo the ties to her nightgown and slid it softly down her body and off her foot-paws so that only her tail was still looped through it. She smiled as she felt his own breathing and heartbeat quicken as he looked at her. Leaving her tail still looped through the nightgown and around his waist, he slid into bed beside her and waited, gazing into her eyes.

Camila moved into his embrace and licked her lips in anticipation. The man she loved more than life itself, now her husband legitimately by the law of the land, was giving himself to her. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at him, returning his gaze as she moved her tail into position and opened it just enough. She wanted to watch him, see his every reaction. She was going to do her best to make him the happiest man alive. She smiled coyly and slowly lowered her tail.


End file.
